Still on tour and receiving accolades, TLC celebrated 30 years of “CrazySexyCool” in Atlanta

Performing in Stockbridge is a homecoming for Watkins, who owned a house near the venue. “I didn’t even know there was an amphitheater there,” Watkins joked.

Atlanta hip-hop quartet Goodie Mob and R&B trio Brownstone will join the show as opening acts. Sharing the stage with Goodie Mob, Watkins said, is both a family reunion and bittersweet.

Watkins was a childhood friend of Rico Wade, the late founder of Goodie Mob production team Organized Noize and the Dungeon Family collective. She helped the group sign a recording contract with LaFace Records. And Organized Noize was responsible for TLC’s biggest hit, “Waterfalls,” from the album “CrazySexyCool.”

“I’m the reason he had a career, and that’s why I have a career,” Watkins said. “It reminds you that everyone should receive their flowers while they are alive. I wish he was here to see the love he has.

Credit: AJC

Credit: AJC

At the show, TLC will receive flowers in the form of the Phoenix Award, the highest honor bestowed by the City of Atlanta, and an Outstanding Citizens Award from the State of Georgia.

“We love Atlanta,” Thomas said, calling himself “a real Georgia peach.” “It means everything for the house to embrace us and love us.”

The accessories don’t stop there. On Sunday, TLC receives the Eternal Harmony Award at the Fifth Annual Black Music Moguls Brunch at The Gathering Spot.

During the ceremony, music streaming service Pandora will also award the group with a plaque recognizing “Waterfalls” receiving more than 1 billion streams. That same day, TLC will receive an honorary doctorate in musicology from Trinity International University of Ambassadors in Duluth.

Credit: Mélissa Ruggieri

Credit: Mélissa Ruggieri

Watkins said the success of “CrazySexyCool” was instrumental in helping Atlanta become a music and cultural capital.

“We helped put LaFace and Atlanta on the map,” Watkins said. “For us, it all started here. People who come here now don’t even recognize it, and it needs to be better known.

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Released in November 1994, “CrazySexyCool” blends hip-hop, R&B, funk and pop with lyrics about female empowerment, life on the streets, AIDS, humanity and romance, with hit singles like “Creep,” “Red Light Special,” and “Diggin.” ‘ on you.”

Thomas said the album’s recording sessions and working with producers like Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, one of LaFace’s co-owners, helped her discover her full singing voice.

“It was incredible… (Babyface) pushed me like no one else did. It helped me come out of my shell. This album showed that we were here to stay,” she declared.

The big-budget music video for “Waterfalls,” directed by F. Gary Gray, won Video of the Year at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. The ladies said the visual played a major role in the success of the song and are not sure if the song would have become such a success without a video component.

“The radio had no idea what we were talking about, so the video was just as important as the song because it brought the lyrics to life,” Thomas said.

She added that “Waterfalls” was Left Eye’s favorite song and that the late band member convinced LaFace co-founder Antonio “LA” Reid to finance the video by asking with a handwritten note on a large track of cardboard.

Thomas also said that the beginning of Left Eye’s rap lyrics on “Waterfalls” was based on a true story.

“On the way to the studio, she saw a rainbow. It really inspired her and no one knew it would be our biggest record.

Although the group had already moved toward sultry, coordinated costumes, from the loose, colorful clothing seen around the time of their 1992 debut album “Ooooooohhh…On the TLC Tip,” Watkins said TLC had not allowed record executives to help them find an agreement. visual image.

“We were trying to find ourselves and figure out what vibe we were going to be,” Watkins said. “I didn’t need anyone telling me who I’m going to be or criticizing what I’m going to look like. I wanted to find out for myself.

TLC is also celebrating the 25th anniversary of its third album “Fan Mail” this year. The album sold over six million copies and included the number one singles “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty”, a song written by Watkins.

Watkins, who suffers from sickle cell anemia, said “Unpretty” helped her realize how much her health issues and self-image inspired her fans.

“It was a personal situation that I didn’t think would affect so many people,” Watkins said. “God kept helping me through all the things I was told I couldn’t do, so I knew I could help people and make a difference. »

The death of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, who died in a car accident in Honduras in 2002, presented a major challenge.

Credit: RICH ADDICKS

Credit: RICH ADDICKS

Watkins and Thomas continued as a duo after his death, releasing the album “3D” only a few months later that year. Although “3D” was certified platinum by the RIAA, with sales of one million copies, Watkins and Thomas agree that their grief over Lopes’ death has left them both uncertain about TLC’s future.

“We were totally devastated after Lisa passed away,” Thomas said. “There were so many different feelings and emotions, and we should have relaxed for a while.”

Always touring around the world, the two ladies rehearse at least six hours a day, five days a week. “We go hard and we succeed,” Watkins said. “You never want to sleep. This is how we were able to take up the torch.”

Thomas says that while he misses the playfulness of Left Eye, the band still leaves room for being silly and having fun. “Even today we are ready to prank someone in a minute. Some things about us will never change.

With TLC songs regularly appearing in Tik Tok challenges, they say it’s normal to see fans attending their shows that originated after the release of “CrazySexyCool.”

Thomas said the band encourages young fans to pay attention to their subject matter.

“We always tell our young fans to listen to the songs so they can learn,” Thomas said. “All of our songs relate to everyday things that we all go through. The content of the lyrics is very useful.

Thomas and Watkins say their longevity is a blessing. Through ups and downs, life and death, and all the controversies and changes in between, their resilience continues, as does their legacy, compelling old and new generations of fans to continue to sing their praises.

“All of this, and the record company issues we went through and endured, are worth it,” Watkins said.

“We’re still here to enjoy the music, the love and the good parts of the industry. We dedicated our time and worked hard for all of this, but it was not for nothing.

TLC’s 30th anniversary celebration of “CrazySexyCool” will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 8 at the Stockbridge Amphitheater, 4650 N. Henry Blvd., Stockbridge. Freshtix.com.